§ 15. Mr. GILBERTasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department the approximate cost of the recent. British trade exhibitions held at the White City, London, and at Birmingham; if he can give any report as to the value of the orders received by exhibitors at both places; and if very mercy foreign and export orders were received?
§ Lieut.-Colonel BUCKLEYThe total cost of the British Industries Fair, recently organised by the Department of Overseas Trade at the White City, was approximately £36,000. This amount has been fully covered by the revenue obtained from letting of space to exhibitors, advertisements in catalogues, etc. The Birmingham section of the fair is not organised by my Department, and no expenditure out of public funds is involved. It is difficult to form any estimate of the amount of orders received, as exhibitors are not invited to make returns of such orders, and also because business initiated at the fair frequently does not mature until some months later. I understand, however, that the business done this year was satisfactory, and that ex port orders showed a considerable increase over those for the preceding fair.